Cowgirls Set for Big 12 Play After Impressive Nonconference Performance
The Cowgirls have been dominant this season and will get a chance to show their skills in Big 12 play.
On Saturday, OSU will open conference play at home against Iowa State at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Along with earning a spot on national TV, the Cowgirls could soon begin to stake their claim as a top team in the Big 12.
Going into Saturday’s matchup, OSU is receiving votes in the AP poll and might have the best team in the Jacie Hoyt era. After making the NCAA Tournament in her first season, Hoyt’s team suffered injury after injury last season, which ended any hopes of a successful season.
However, the Cowgirls revamped their roster in the offseason and are off to an electric start to the 2024-25 season. In Hoyt’s third season, she has the Cowgirls sitting at 10-1 after nonconference play.
After beating Arkansas to begin the season 7-0, OSU suffered its first loss against Richmond on the second day of a back-to-back in the Dayton Beach Classic. Those matchups were the Cowgirls’ only nonconference games away from Stillwater.
Since that loss, OSU has had another three nonconference contests in Gallagher-Iba Arena and imposed its will. Over the past three games, OSU has beaten Houston Christian, Alabama State and McNeese by a combined score of 310-129.
OSU’s dominance has been evident throughout the nonconference schedule, and much of its production has come from the expected stars. Micah Gray, Stailee Heard and Anna Gret Asi are the team’s leading scorers, each averaging over 13 points per game, with Gray’s 16.8 being a career-high.
As long as OSU can continue to ride its stars on offense and continue to play well defensively, it could be a surprise team in the Big 12 and is well on its way to another NCAA Tournament appearance.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.